Air cleaners are widely used in home and office settings for cleaning the air. An air cleaner can filter the air in order to remove airborne contaminants. An air cleaner can therefore include any type of mechanical filter element comprising a mesh, a weave, a foam, etc. An air cleaner can further include electrical air cleaning components, such as a collector cell that removes dirt and debris from the airflow of the air cleaner. A collector cell can include an ionizer and/or an electrostatic precipitator.
The collector cell of an air cleaner operates at very high voltages, typically in thousands of volts. The high operational voltage level of a collector cell can result in arcing or shorting during operation. The arcing or shorting can result from excessive accumulation of dirt and debris in the collector cell over operation, such as insects between the charge and ground components, for example. The arcing or shorting can result from fluids or high levels of moisture in the collector cell. For example, water or cleaning fluids can remain in the collector cell after a cleaning operation.
The arcing or shorting over very short periods of time generates loud and annoying noises, at the very least. The arcing or shorting can cause damage to electrical components of the air cleaner. In more severe cases, the arcing or shorting can present a danger of fire or electrical shock. Therefore, it is highly undesirable that the collector cell be allowed to continuously or repeatedly arc or short during operation.
In the prior art, a typical approach in an air cleaner is to detect a drop in electrical current or voltage and temporarily shut down the collector cell. The electrical power is then ramped back up, on the theory that the cause of the arc or short has probably traveled out of the collector cell or has been otherwise removed.
Drawbacks exist in the prior art. The electrical power can be ramped back up even though the cause of the arcing or shorting has not been removed. Because the power circuitry in the prior art performs this ramping up at a fixed time after shutting down, the user or operator may not be aware of the arcing or shorting. Repeated arcing or shorting will consume excessive electrical power. Moreover, repeated arcing or shorting can present a danger to the device and surroundings if excessive electrical power is consumed.